Flexible coupling



. 7. April 26 192 w. J; FRANCKE FLEXIBLE GUPLING Filed oct. l21, 1922 Patented Apr. .26, 1927.

l'l'El) STATES snr WILLIAM J'. FRANCKE, OF BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE .AS-k v' I SIGNMENTS, T0 JOHN -WALDRON CORPORATION, OF NEW' BRUNSWICK, NEW JER- SEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FLEXIBLE CDUPLING.

Application filed October 21, 1922. Serial No. 595,982.

Fig. 2, is a section taken on the line 2*?,

Fig. 1, and Y Fig. 3,'1s a view 1n perspective of one of the bearing elements.

With reference to the drawings, my invention comprises a pair of coupling elements or flangesl and 2 adapted respectively to be secured to the ends of the shafts which it may be desired to couple. The

flanged portion of the member 1 is of con#V siderably greater diameter than the corresponding portion of the member 2 and constitutes with a cup-shaped member 3 which is secured to the member 1 by means of bolts 4, a housing for the greater portion of the flange 2. The hub portion of this latter flange projects through an opening 5 in the member 3. Y

Mounted in the coupling 1 and extends ing diametrically across the flanged portion 1a of this member 1 is a cylindrical pin 6, the ends of the pin being in thel present instance riveted in the member 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Journaled on the pin 6 is a crossshaped element 7 comprisinglbearing openings 8, 8, on opposite sides thereof in which is journaled a connector element 9 apertured atits center for passage of the pin 6, there being provided in the 'bearing openings 8, 8, on opposite sides of the element 9, which inthe present instance is of rectangular section, segmental bearing elements 10, the flat faces of which rest against the sides of the element 9, while the curved surfaces which conform to the arc of the bearing openings 8 fit neatly against the curved surfaces of the latter.

As clearly Shown in the drawings, the aforesaid central opening inthe element 9 is of suliiciently greater diameter than the '9 longitudinally in the bearings 8, 8.

diameter of the pin 6 to provide for angular movement of the latter. That portionof the member 2 which occupiesthe interior of the member 1 is slotted at 11 at each side for the reception of the projecting ends of the element-9` the latter fitting neatly the said slots in the member 2, the memberalso being recessed at l2, 12, for clearance for the member 7.

Inl the present instance, the bar 9 is shown constructed of aI plurality ofv shims laid flat against each other, but it will be apparent that all the requirements of the coupling are met even when this bar is made of an integral piece ofnietal and is rigid. Angular misalignment of the shafts is compensated4 for by oscillation of the member 7 on the pin 6, and -by oscillation of the element 9 and the associated bearing elef ments 10 within the bearings 8, 8, while parallel misalignment is compensated for by movement of the member 7 longitucinally of the pin 6 and movement of the element also is provided for as well as cushioning inthe direction of the drive, and it will be noted that in each movement Vof the coupling in compensating for either vmisalignment or for the other conditions, a

plane bearing surfaceis maintained between the coupling elements, and that this plane bearing surface is maintained whether ornot the member 9 is flexible.

I claim: i

A HeXible coupling' comprising a pair of coupling members adapted respectively to be attached to the adjacent ends of two shafts, one of said members havingaligned slots extending in an axial direction, acylindrical pin extending transversely across the other of said members. an element journaled on the pin and having a through cylindrical opening transverse to -the pin axis, a. fiat flexible element through thesaid opening and having ,a central aperture for passage of the pin, the ends of said iiexiblefelement entering the slots on the coupling member first named and keepers on opposite sides of the flexible Float l extending element having curved outer faces conforin- Y ing with the cylindrical opening and neatly fitted to the latter.

WILLIAM J. FRANCKE. 

